


The Roads We've  Travelled

by Canadian_Lofty



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Future-ish Fic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post canon, Prompto needs a hug, Sad with a Happy Ending, The Promptis is light but you can kinda see it, sorta?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-30 02:40:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11454276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canadian_Lofty/pseuds/Canadian_Lofty
Summary: He'd never wanted to live in a world without Noctis, but now he didn't have a choice.





	The Roads We've  Travelled

He started in Hammerhead.

He wanted to recreate the shots in Insomnia, but those would have to come later - Ignis had gently reminded him that a majority of Noct's and his favourite hangouts were still... being rebuilt.  
  
So, to Hammerhead he went, reminded of the beginning of the trip when things were light and fun. When guarding the Prince of Lucis was merely a side thought to getting to spend time on a road trip with his best friend. It was supposed to have been an end to the war, the beginning of a brighter chapter in Noctis' life.  
  
"So much for that." Sighing heavily, Prompto hitched the bag on his back higher up as he walked to the spot where the Regalia had once sat, newly repaired and ready to go, marking the true start of their journey from long ago. Prompto smiled in remembrance  of how each of the four had posed differently by the Regalia, from serious but smiling Ignis, a posturing Gladio, to the soft and relaxed smile of Noct, all ready to continue the trail.  
  
Snapping a quick picture of the spot, he gazed around at what Hammerhead had become. Now that the light of day was back and daemons out of the question, Hammerhead had returned to being a garage on the outskirts of Insomnia.  
  
But there still were remnants of its 10-year stint as a hunter’s base: crates of weapons and ammo sat in a corner of the lot and the chain-link fence higher than he could climb remained, a painful reminder to those that called this place home base - pain from the memories of ones lost, from the fights of everyday. While Prompto was happy that those days of darkness and sorrow were over for so many people, he still wished it hadn't happened because his best friend gave his life for it.  
  
"Who knew that after we left Hammerhead, nothing would be the same, huh Noct?"  
  
Nothing answered him, save for the ambient noise of the garage work going on around him. Frowning, he looked down at the picture he'd just taken, and he couldn't help but be disappointed by how off the area looked in comparison to the image he had taken ten years ago. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised by the fact given how different everything was back then, but it still bothered him. Like there was just less light, less life in the photo he'd just taken. Tucking his camera into his bag, Prompto sighed and continued on.  
  
\--  
  
_"Hang on, lemme get this shot!" Prompto grinned as he pressed the timer on the camera and ran over to the others, crouching in front of Ignis, just beside an equally crouched Noctis. All four of them were smiling, having turned around on their drive to Lestallum at Prompto's wish to get a shot of the meteor. Prompto jumped up after hearing the camera shutter, eager to take a closer look of the picture. He cut off a laugh, realizing Gladio had blinked in the photo, but it made his smile look that much freer, so Prompto figured it was an acceptable shot._  
  
\--  
  
Prompto stepped up to the small cliff that the group had perched on for this particular shot and he was amazed that the meteor still burned, still powered Lestallum and ended up saving so many people with its energy.  
  
"Maybe that was your doing, Noct? Weird idea on my part, but I know you wouldn't leave people in the lurch like that; it was never your nature." He grinned as he looked down at the old picture, long ago printed onto paper and worn from being folded and unfolded so many times. Flattening the fold with his thumb, Prompto began rubbing his thumb lightly over Noct's face, matching the soft smile he had hoped to see just once more over the last ten years.  
  
"You always were going to do what you could for everyone else, even when it meant you'd get burned."  Gently folding the photo back in half, he tucked it back into his wallet and carried on.  
  
\--  
  
_"Ignis!" Prompto jumped at Gladio's shout of surprise and turned in time to see Ignis get thrown back into a tree by a particularly large goblin, and he wasn't getting up as quickly as he normally would. Crap. That was a problem. Prompto went to make his way over to aid Ignis, but then with a flash of blue, Noct appeared beside him, and with a light press on his back, Noct let flow some of the crystal's healing magic. Knowing that the rest of the daemons were almost entirely dispatched thanks to Gladio's rage, Prompto raised his camera and snapped a quick shot of the two - Noct may not have always said much, but Prompto knew he cared far more deeply for them than he let on, and this would be perfect proof of it._  
  
\--  
  
Finding the area for this shot had been harder than most of them - all he had to go off of was that it had been night time, there were rocks and bushes, and the odd blue lights in the background. In the end, he still hadn't been quite sure, but maybe it was a shot he'd taken around the Chocobo Post.

With that thought, he'd trotted around, hoping to find something a little similar to the photo. Without the fear of daemons at night anymore, he continued his trek well into the late of night, and though he wasn't completely sure of the area, he'd ended up snapping a shot of a small grove of bushes just across from the post.  
  
"Even if it's not the same spot, it doesn't change that every fight we were in you were looking out for us. I wish...I wish we could still be watching your back, Noct. I wish you could be here to snark at me, to ask about Ignis' new recipes, to tease Gladio when he teased you. I wish you were still here to tell me I was good enough for you." His voice hitched at the last words, knowing their truth but hating the loneliness that accompanied them. He thought back to that night on the motel roof, thinking how easily those words came to Noct, without any hesitation.

_"Say what you want, but I think you're good enough for me."_

Prompto had jumped at the words, not quite believing what he heard - but when he'd seen the shy smile on Noctis' face, followed by a quick tap of a hand against his own, Prompto remembered that Noct never lied - his words, though sometimes teasing, always held care and love for him - he was always earnest and straightforward when it mattered. So Prompto had leaned against him for a short while, smiling and tracing mindless patterns along Noct's hand - simply enjoying the closeness of the prince that held his heart.

\--

_One of his favourite pictures by far had been of the four of them, shortly after their arrival to Lestallum. It had been late at night; or rather, early in the morning and they all were suffering from a lack of sleep. But it hadn't stopped Prompto from dragging them all together for a picture of their arrival._

_The warm lights of Lestallum had put them all into soft relief - all four of them wore smiles bordering between exasperation and amusement. They had bunched in so closely together to fit into the right frame Prompto had provided - any closer and they'd be squishing faces._

_That was what Prompto loved so much about the picture - the easy closeness, and that even though they had been exhausted, they had all entertained his whim for a shot._

 --

He never wanted to lose that bond of friendship he'd had with the three of them - yet the loss of Noct - both the ten years and his final departure- had taken its toll on all of them. Ignis had withdrawn from them, insisting that he must learn to deal with his handicap alone so as to not be a burden upon Noct's return. Gladio had decided to join up with Iris, who had take up Demon hunting in the hopes of improving the world that Noct would return to.

When Gladio had suggested to Prompto that he join him, _"Could always use the best sharpshooter around in times like these",_ Prompto had been startled but touched by his words of praise. Yet he knew Gladio would grow tired of him without the other two as buffers. So, he'd declined, saying he wanted to head back to Hammerhead and look after everyone there (he hadn't missed the raised eyebrow or the smirk that had laced Gladio's face at that).

And the quartet had become separated, just like that. He'd thought that maybe Noct had been what kept them together, that without him they lost any semblance of friendship - but he'd realized quickly that it wasn't that. They had separated to cope with the loss, with the unknown. They all had silently agreed that grieving over Noct's disappearance together would have hurt them too much, would have caused too much strife. So, in order to keep them all close, they had deigned to leave. They still kept in touch, still helped each other out without a second thought. The days of traveling together, of camping and sharing a meal together, were past.

How Prompto wished for that back, wished for those easy days of warmth and comfort. 

\--

For Prompto, the picture that he often looked at the often was also one that caused him the most sadness. It had been a spur-of-the-moment shot, taken when he felt that long forgotten spark of capturing a moment on film. And how appropriate was it that the one to make him feel like taking a picture was the person he was about to lose again, after long years of waiting for his return to show him how much he needed him.

\--

_It had been like old times. Ignis, having become proficient at operating without his eyesight, prepared what he could of Noct's favourites with the limited supplies they found. Gladio was grinning and showing Noct some of the wildlife around the haven that survived through the darkness - dandelions still grew in droves, and chicory, mushrooms and rhubarb were now the staple foods for consumption. Prompto had taken to poking around his own bag, keen on finding a small bit of the past that he could share with Noct while he still could. His hands brushed up against cold metal, and with some apprehension, he pulled out the object that he'd avoided using for years._

_His camera._

_He hadn't had a reason to take a picture for such a long time; all colour and vibrancy had disappeared from the world over these last ten years. Noct's disappearance had left a hole in Prompto's life - indeed, it was as if Noct had taken away all positivity and things worth taking shots of. So, to see Noct smiling at the way Gladio was explaining something so mundane as gardening, of all things, had Prompto wrapping his hands protectively around the camera, finger already twitching over the trigger button. He hadn't felt that in awhile - the need to take a shot and hold it forever in time. Leaning back in his chair, he began fiddling with it, taking his time to clean the lens and pull the strap around his neck. He spent the rest of the evening watching Noct, waiting for the ideal time to take a couple shots._

_His chance came just before they went to bed, before their trek into Insomnia. The four of them had been making light banter all night, keen on enjoying their last night together before their confrontation with Ardyn.  Gladio had reminded them of a time when they fought the large bird on Mount Ravatogh, and had been all too ready to tease Prompto of his less than stellar reaction to the bird._

_"Listen, it was huge and all I could see were those giant claws grabbing me for lunch! I didn't wanna be lunch! And at least I got Noct out of the way!" Gladio scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair._

_"Oh yeah, if I recall correctly, you wouldn't let go of him, even when that bird got closer. Prompto just admit it, you were scared stiff." Prompto stood up and pointed at Gladio, camera swinging around his neck as he attempted to defend himself._

_"Of course, I was scared! Just because you're too big to have fit in that monster’s mouth didn't mean I wanted to try, big guy! Ignis, back me up here, that bird was huge!"_

_Gladio responded with a chuckle and an eye roll, looking over at Ignis who was chuckling quietly into his hand. Knowing he wouldn't get help out of Iggy, he turned to look at Noct for assistance, and froze at what he saw._

_Noct was smiling, eyes closed and a grin stretching across his face in laughter. The weariness seemed to have left his friend's shoulders, all forms of seriousness and worry wiped from his expression._

_Prompto swore he'd never seen something so perfect._

_With a skill long thought forgotten, he'd had his camera in his hands and in place, shot focused and Noct in frame faster than a snap of his fingers. The light of the fire illuminated Noct's features, light and shadow warring over his face in the constant darkness, but to Prompto, Noct's smile was brighter than anything he'd seen in the last ten years._

_The sound of the camera shutter alerted Noct to what Prompto was doing, camera still in hand and pointed at him. His grin softened as he focused on his friend, eyes holding warmth and a fondness that Prompto had missed dearly. Grinning, he lowered his camera and rubbed the back of his head and shrugged his shoulders._

_"Sorry man, couldn't help it! You're still just as photogenic as before."_

\--

Three months. It had taken him three months to travel to every place he could remember that held some form of memory for him - three months of talking to Noct, knowing he wasn't around, but holding onto a pointless hope that he would maybe hear his voice just one more time.

And of course, he ended up back on that ledge. Back to that view of Insomnia, where they'd first run back to, to witness the occupation of Insomnia by Niflheim. Back to where they'd ended their journey outside of Insomnia, those ten years later, to that final night where Prompto had captured one final shot of Noct. Before the end of it all, all over again.

Anger coursed through him suddenly, vicious and spreading like fire. He dropped his bag to the ground and walked to the edge, kicking rocks over in petulant fury. All of his thoughts spilled over, the anger at Ardyn, the Astrals, the injustice of Regis' death, the loss of Noct's future, Iggy's sight, Luna, and the loss of the one person in the world he really loved.

"It's not fair, Noct! None of this was fair. We were supposed to journey together, there were things we were supposed to do _together,_ you were supposed to be king. I was going to stay by your side forever, because we wanted that! Now you're gone, and Iggy and Gladio, they still have purpose. They're working on rebuilding everything, and I can't do anything to help. What the hell am I supposed to do now?" He fell to his knees, chest heaving from his sudden outburst. Sighing, he ran his hands through his hair and slouched over, knees pushing into the ground as he curled in on himself just shy of the ledge.

"What am I supposed to do now, Noct? I've...I've got nothing to aim for."

He remained there for a few more moments, desperately hoping for a sign, something to guide him. When nothing but the wind answered him, blowing around him gently, he sighed, straightening his back and tilting his head back to calm his breathing. Just a few more moments here, and he'd head back to Insomnia. No doubt Ignis and Gladio were starting to worry about him.

Just as he made to move, he felt the light touch of a hand on his shoulder, and the distinct graze of fingers moving from his shoulder and along his neck.

"C'mon now Prompto. I thought you wanted to make a life out of your photography? You can't give up just because I'm not going to be in every shot." Jolting into action, Prompto twisted around, but where he hoped someone would be standing, there was only the empty space around him.

"...Noct?" There was no denying that voice, that touch. But it wasn't possible. It wasn't possible for Noct to be here. He was deep within a tomb, long dead and sacrificed for his people. Still, something nagged at Prompto. Could he have imagined that? Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, letting him hear things that just weren't there. Something was telling him to snap a picture of the grassy area he was kneeling in. Fumbling with his camera for a moment, he lifted it to his eyes and letting it focus on the open and empty space in front of him.

The click of the shutter was loud in the silence that surrounded Prompto. He held his breath, waiting to check the photo as it loaded. There was no way, and yet...

There he was. There in the photo, sure as the landscape surrounding him was Noct, looking 10 years younger than how Prompto last saw him. His face was bright with laughter and waving at Prompto, with the sideways grin  he'd so often thrown Prompto's way when he'd sneak a quick picture.

Tears came unbidden; whether in joy, sadness, or both, Prompto wasn't sure. But Noct was still around, still standing with Prompto even when they couldn't exist together. He wiped his tears away, the first true smile gracing his features since the start of his trip.

"I... I got it, Noct. I remember now. I'm the photographer, I need to make a life of this, right? I used to love catching your smiles, or your dorky poses. Iggy and Gladio, and all the special places we've been. I forgot how much I loved that. I'll work on my photography again. I'll get better. I'll do it. I'll be the best photographer in all of Eos! And then... I'll come to you and we can be together again. So... keep watching after me?" A light wind blew around him in response.

Grinning, he stood back up, brushing his pant legs off and staring at Insomnia with a new glint in his eyes.

"I'll make you proud of who I'll become, Noct. So, wait for me."

\--

It wasn't easy. Everything and anything would remind him of Noct, from the many places they'd gone to in Insomnia, to the places outside the wall with all four of them.

Some things came more readily to him - landscape images that would be requested were never hard - indeed, he seemed to have a knack for capturing the perfect shot at the perfect time.

City shots, those were harder. It was easy to remember something that they'd all done in the past in Lestallum, or Hammerhead, or one of the many rest stops along the way. But it seemed Noct always knew when to make an appearance in one of Prompto's personal photos - a memorable one being of the motel roof on a particularly damp evening that had Prompto wishing he could have curled up next to Noct again, just once.

Noct had shown up in the picture of the roof, legs hanging over the side and smiling fondly down at Prompto, and beckoning him up. Prompto had nearly fallen off the roof in his haste to reach the area, but it had been worth it in the end. Once he'd sat down, a warm and calming sensation overcame him, and the negative thoughts in his head dissipated. He'd stayed up there for hours, but when the night grew too dark, he'd wandered back inside and slept the best sleep in ages.

Gladio and Ignis had noticed the change in him. Gladio had, in a rare display of care, grabbed him and pulled him into a one-armed hug and told him he was glad to see that he had found something again.

He'd grinned and pushed playfully at Gladio's arm, and said, "Noct reminded me that I still have a life to live, that there's still something I can do. So, I'm going to be the best photographer that all of Eos has ever seen!" Gladio had been surprised but happy for Prompto, and hadn't teased him or commented on his words.

The next day Ignis had approached him with a small job for some photographs needed for rebuilding.

"Perhaps you could provide us reference material for some of the structures here. I remember you were particularly fond of Lestallum - if we had some good photographs of the architecture there, we could create a mixture of Insomnia's style and Lestallum's. You would be paid, of course."

Prompto preened at the opportunity and had thanked Gladio the next time he'd seen him - there was no other way for Ignis to have known, after all.

Lestallum ended up being fortuitous because Vyv was still around and eager to hire Prompto for his photography. Prompto was happy, given that Vyv sometimes let him go off for weeks on end and just shoot what caught his eye - and he paid well, and helped to spread Prompto's name across Eos.

Months of work turned into years, and as Insomnia was rebuilt into something beautiful and unified, a ghost-image of the world Noct had spoken about in that dingy room in the imperial city years ago, Prompto became one of the go-to people for not only photography, but traveling information. He came to know the best places to view sunsets, to see rare wildlife or to go fishing - he was well known for his positivity and excitement about it all.

Noct still occasionally showed up in his photos, but as the years stretched on, he appeared less and less, until Prompto hadn't seen him in a shot in over 5 years. He supposed Noct thought he was okay on his own now. And perhaps he was.

He still missed him more than anything.

 

* * *

 

Awareness came to Prompto slowly. The first thing he noticed was the breeze against his skin - soft and warm, but tinged with a dampness that puzzled him. The ground beneath him felt soft, and gave way easily as he moved. He could hear water, moving softly back and forth, growing quieter and louder in a slow pattern.

 _It's like the sea._ And with that thought, it dawned on him where he was - Galdin Quay, a place full of bright memories and better times. He sat up quickly without thinking and regretted it, flinching on instinct with the thought of sore joints and tired muscles, something that seemed to be plaguing him more and more with the passing years. But he felt no pain when he moved, surprising him into opening and closing his hands. No pain.

His body felt light and painless, reminiscent of an age past, 20 years young and still looking at the world with a positive light. Gazing around, he spotted the resort at the end of the long dock on the water, looking like it did all of those years ago before the darkness. Muted chatter echoed across the water, the lights from inside and along the dock twinkling in the water’s reflection.

A realization struck him at the same moment he thought of those many years ago.

\--

_"Hey Gladio, do you think...do you think Ignis is happy now? Where he is, I mean."_

_Gladio sighed, running a hand down his face before he gazed to where Prompto was, leaning against an elaborate grave marker inscribed with Ignis' name._

_"Honestly kid, I dunno. Some people say the afterlife is a dark void, some people say it's just like this world. What I am sure of though, is that wherever Ignis is, he's beside Noct, and that's where he always wanted to be. So yeah, I'd say he's pretty damn happy." Gladio kneeled slowly down in front of the marker, wincing as his legs ached. Smiling over at Prompto, he leaned over and tussled his hair._

_" I'll probably join them soon, you know. We'll all be together again at some point. But we can't rush things, okay? All in good time."_

_That conversation stuck with Prompto, past Gladio's death, and into the time where he knew his own death approached. He was too tired, too sore, too slow to keep going, and he knew it. But he wouldn't rush this. He said he'd live, and he would._

_Only a matter of time._

_\--_

Gladio's words came back to him as he gazed out at sea, wonder and confusion taking root in his head.

"I...am I dead? I have to be dead. This is way too vivid to be a dream, there's no way this is a dream." He thought back to the talks with Gladio and Ignis when they both knew they were near the end of their lives.

He was so preoccupied with his own ramblings, Prompto didn't notice the sound of footsteps behind him, light and soft upon the white sand.

"It's about time you showed up, you know."

Prompto gasped and turned around, not quite believing what he was seeing.

Noct, in dark shorts and his otherwise typical attire, as young as he'd seen in those photos from so long ago, stood behind him. His hands resting on his hips, he looked down at Prompto with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a smile stretched across his face. 

"I... Is this real? Am I here? Are you here? Is everyone here?"

Noct's smile turned warm, turning and nodding his head towards the haven behind them.

"Everyone's at the Haven over there. We've been waiting for you to get your chocobo-loving butt here for ages." A thoughtful look overtook Noct's features for a moment before he grinned back down at Prompto.

"You look good, Prom. I've missed you."

Prompto felt tears form and track down his face. How he'd missed Noct, eager for the chance to be with him again, to be together again. Only this time, they'd do it right. Sniffling, he wiped the tears away with the back of his hand and grinned up at Noctis, thousand-watt smile in place.

"You never were going to stop helping me, were you?"

 Noct, young faced and full of laughter, grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"I did promise I wouldn't let anything happen to you, you know. Now are you coming, or what?"

Prompto grinned, happiness blossoming in his chest as he felt the warmth of Noct's hand in his own, pulling him along into his forever.

"Uh-huh! Ever at your side."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! First of all, thank you for reading my fic! It's my first post in over 7 years of anything I've done, so I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Huge shout out to my friend Hunter, he generously beta'd this and without him, well...it would not have been pretty.  
> And also a massive thank you to my friend Alex, who helped to get my creative butt in gear and got me feeling like writing again! So if you liked this, you can thank them. :'D Also Alex? I'm sorry.  
> No I'm not. BRING THE SUFFERING.
> 
> All these boys need hugs, honestly.
> 
> Feel free to come yell with/at me on twitter - you can find me at Canadian_Lofty ! :)


End file.
